Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Inside These Arms

There are days I can barely turn a door knob without excruciating pain, let alone load a gun or wield a knife - or however the alleged perp murdered Kimball's wife.

It was totally David Jansen.....or Harrison Ford who did it. Possibly Ashley Judd.

I should have known, going into the system that is Worker's Comp, I'd have to hope, then fight, for any kind of support. They're just not going to readily help you.

So two and one half weeks after my "fall", disability management finally, FINALLY, approved my need for occupational therapy.

If I were truly going to be "work" the system, I would have lobbied for physical therapy, as I'm already there for my shoulder. I could have tried to get BWC to pay for my shoulder as well. But I'm an upstanding guy, no matter what others say.

Truth be told, my shoulder is screaming with pain. I can't attribute the increase to the fall, but I can't not attribute it either.

So on my day off last Friday, I went into work to go to my OT appointment. You can't really tell, but I have a new brace. It's softer, but supports the thumb and its tendons more than the last - as that seems to be the point of my injury. So I have a lot of thumb exercises to do it seems.

While the hand is inconvenient at best, it's my shoulder that just screams pain. My range of motion has been greatly altered.

My first set of PT exercises only somewhat helped. And with one portion, on that pain scale they give you, I was hitting 9 consistently, if not the occasional 10. I'd say I was in tears, but I'm not the crying kind.

Yesterday therapy session went better. We are scaling back on some things that almost made me cry and I have a host of new items to try out.

And the PT lady - yes, a girl - really manipulated my shoulder for good 15 minutes. I can't call it a massage, but man it did wonders. So did the 15 minutes of wearing an ice vest, which you see in the blog image. It hit the front and back of my shoulder. I must have one of these machines in my house.

So I'm hopeful (also not like me....no matter what other say). Over the weekend I told 710 that I can't see how surgery is avoidable the way I was feeling. But after yesterday's therapy, I feel like maybe I have opportunity for improvement.

For the next few weeks, this is my life. OT and PT......sometimes back to back appointments. Or alternating days.

It's not ideal, but it is better than surgery, though I might be just as happy with cortisone shots.